Philippines: Building Green Homes by One of The World’s Oldest Building Materials

ANGELES CITY – Environmentalists have started building the city’s first “green home” which is made of bricks and equipped with power-saving devices.

The environment-friendly house, which will be erected at the Heritage Place Phase 2 along the Circumferential Road in Barangay Cutcut here, is the first residence in the country which bears the Philippine Green Building Initiatives (PGBI) rating, said former city councilor and the home’s owner Louie Reyes.

Reyes, head of the Green Youth Brigade, said he wants to promote “green architecture” in Angeles City and in the province by constructing his own energy-efficient house.

“This is the first in Heritage Place. That is why we are very excited about it,” Reyes said.

Architect Rosette Santos said they tapped RL Agtekpin (Agham at Teknolohiyang Pinoy) IMRF Corporation, makers of eco-bricks for the construction of Reyes’ residence, which will be completed in three months.

During the launching, environmentalist and Agtekpin president Jesus Pring showed the durability and easy installation of his eco-bricks.

He said that houses that are made of his bricks can withstand high- intensity tremors and strong typhoons.

Brick is one of the world’s oldest building materials. It is pest and weather-resistant, and fire-proof. Brick homes built hundreds of years ago are still standing, according to Pring.

He said that the bricks will be fabricated on the construction site and materials which will be used will be purchased from local suppliers to ensure that the carbon footprint of the project is minimal.

“The Agtekpin eco-bricks do not involve any burning and are water cured. It can be made in site reducing transportation cost and carbon footprint. They are made using indigenous lahar silt deposits from waterways, rivers, and recyclable coal combustion products from coal-fired power plants,” Pring said.

Reyes, who also heads the Metro Angeles Real Estate Board or Mareb, said there is a market for green buildings in the city.

“There is a boom in the real estate and construction industry. The economic outlook of the country is positive. The demand for green building will rise,” he added.

The PGBI is a non-profit, voluntary group of professional associations involved with the built-environment who share a common concern with the impacts of global warming and climate change.

Its vision is to be the leader in developing a sustainable nation by promoting energy-efficient and environment-friendly design and construction.

The founding member organizations are United Architects of the Philippines (UAP); Philippine Society of Ventilating Air-conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers (PSVARE); American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)Philippine Chapter; Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers (IIEE); Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID); International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Philippines; Heritage Conservation Society (HCS); Geological Society of the Philippines(GSP).